1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to an apparatus for freezing liquids. More in particular, the invention is directed to a containment structure configured to temporarily receive and contain an amount of a freezable liquid. The apparatus is further structured to release the contained frozen liquid (ice) subsequent to freezing. The present invention is preferably structured for single use such that it is rendered inoperable upon opening and release of the contained ice product. As such, the present invention represents a significant step forward in the art by facilitating convenient and sanitary formation of high quality consumable ice, in various forms, for individual use. If desired, the interior of the apparatus can be further structured to impart embossed and/or embedded aesthetic designs, logos, or other indicia onto the surface of the contained ice product.
2. Description of the Related Art
The formation and use of ice balls for cooling of food and beverages is well known in general. However, despite some evolution in the specific manner in which such ice balls are formed, the current art is lacking in the aspect of sanitary formation of such frozen products. There are also certain other aspects of producing, storing, and/or transporting such products which are not adequately addressed in the art.
For example, existing spherical ice ball molds are typically reusable and made with rubber, silicone, or low cost plastic parts. These products are typically intended for home use, and are also marketed as multi-use, reusable, and sometimes washable molds. Basically, the consumer fills the container with water, places the filled container in the freezer, and several hours later the ice product, sometimes spherical in nature, is ready for use.
The challenges with these existing products are several. First, the structure of such molds makes it cumbersome and challenging to remove the ice. Second, the product is intended to use tap water or perhaps bottled water, which often has a certain taste and forms at least partially opaque/generally cloudy ice balls. Third, sanitary issues arise due to the difficult nature of cleaning such reusable molds, which can host a number of pathogens if not appropriately decontaminated.
It would therefore be beneficial to provide a simple to use apparatus that facilitates the forming of a consumable frozen ice product. It would also be significantly advantageous for such a device to permit cost effective mass production and use. It would be a further advantage for such an apparatus to provide consistently safe and sanitary formation of consumable ice, while avoiding the pitfalls of contamination, tampering, etc., that are not yet appropriately addressed in the art.